Arthur and Buster Christian school week
by Travis 2014
Summary: Mr. Ratburn has Arthur and Buster to go to A Christian school for a week as an Experiment.
1. Chapter 1

Arthur and Buster Christian school week

* * *

Mr. Ratburn sets up an Experiment for two kids go to a Religious school -or schools for a week. See who goes. We begin on a Thursday at Lakewood Elementary School. In Mr. Ratburn's 3rd grade classroom. He came in. He has an Experiment planned.

"I, have an experiment planned," said Mr. Ratburn, "For two, of you to go to, a religious school or schools of their choice for a week. Any two that, is."

The kids was surprised by what he just said. Francine is not sure about that idea same with Brain. Arthur and Buster like that idea a lot. So they asked him to go. He said yes. But need to ask their parents. Later they are walking home. They are talking with Francine about the religious school experiment.

"I, like that idea," said Arthur, "My Church has a school."  
"I, also, like that," said Buster, "I also go to, that church same as you, you know."  
"If, i would do a religious school," Francine told them, "Would, be a Jewish school. After all, i am Jewish."  
"Even, though you, eat pork?' said Arthur, "After all we saw you eat it."  
"Not, all Jews keep Kosher, said Francine, "I,m a Reform Jew by the way."  
"We forgot that," said Buster, "We sometimes forget that you're Jewish. Your religion isn't important to us, really."

Francine is thinking about converting to be with Arthur without him converting. She just might convert, but she won't tell them yet. Third grade is too young to change religions just to be in a relationship.

Arthur to his house. He told his parents about the experiment and how he wants to participate. They want to go for a week and try it out.

"I say yes to that," said Mrs. Read, "I support it! We can talk to the priest about it. Father O'Conner, the priest is a good man, I trust that you'll be fine in his school."  
"I also say yes!" Mr. Read agreed, "It's a good thing to do because you can see how people are different."  
"Thanks Mom and Dad," said Arthur. "It,s just for a week, so i can try it out. And i already know that people are different from each other."

Buster will also get to go. They are happy about that, especially because they'll still be in the same school.


	2. Going to the schools

Arthur and Buster Christian school week

* * *

It turns out they allow one more student to go, which will be Francine. Since she is a Jew she will go to a Jewish School. She decided to bring pork to that school in her lunch. She does not keep Kosher. But that school does. She does not know that no pork shellfish and other food Lots of Jews keep. Not so with Francine. We begin with Arthur and Buster. After Church.

"So, Father O'Conner," asked Arthur, "we can go to this school for a week"  
"Yes, indeed Arthur," said Father O, Conner, "You're both good Catholic boys. I know you'll do well at this school."  
"I'm glad it has recess," Buster told him. "I love recess and lunch!"  
"Lots of kids do," Father O' Conner responded. "You 're not alone."

The next day, Arthur and Buster took the school bus that the church owns to their temporary school. Francine went to school by the bus that Jewish school owns. She has a pork sandwich in her lunch today and bratty girl will tell on her for that. She got on the bus and sat next to a cat boy. Looks like Sue Ellen as a boy and Jewish, because Sue Ellen is a Christian cat girl. But most of the time, you can't tell what religion somebody is by looking at them.

"Hi there," said that boy, "Are you new Elwood City?"  
"No, i'm just visiting your for a week," Francine responded. "I go to Lakewood."  
"So, you, re Francine?" the boy asked. "Our teacher said a girl name Francine would visit school for a week."  
"That's me!" she told him. "What's your name?"  
"It's Todd Berg," he responded. "You will love our school!"  
"I really hope i do," she responded. "It's just for a week, though."

Now back to Arthur and Buster on the other school bus. Going to the Catholic school. Francine wants to go to that school for a week, instead of the Jewish school, but her parents want her to go to a school that's her religion.

"I hope your school is nice," said Arthur to a boy. Arthur said to a boy in front of him.  
"It sure is," said the boy, "My name's Henry, by the way."  
"We,ll see. You go there, so you'd know," Arthur responded. "Oh, my name's Arthur."  
"Nice to meet you," Henry said to him.  
"Thanks," he said with a smile. "You too."

Henry is an Aardvark like Arthur only does not wearing glasses. He is also shorter than him. Even though they are the same age. His family is just short people.


	3. Francine in trouble

Arthur and Buster Christian school week

* * *

We see Francine with her backpack and lunch box as she goes into the Jewish school, which is called the Elwood City Community School. Francine went there for preschool, but not kindergarten. She has a pork sandwich in her lunch box because she doesn't keep Kosher. Francine doesn't know that at this school, you have to keep Kosher, but she should've been told before she visited. At the very least, she should've read the she didn't , so she might get in trouble.

"So, what classroom do I go to, Rabbi," Francine asked, "I'm in the third grade."  
"Follow me, Francine," the Rabbi told her, "you don't know your way around yet. Your teacher this week is Mr. Greenberg."  
"Thank you Rabbi," she responded.  
"We have a good school here. I know you'll enjoy it here!"

She went in that classroom, along with some other kids. The teacher came in, he knows Francine there for a week.

"Welcome to our school, Francine. Please take either the seat by Daniel," Mr. Greenberg began, "or the one by Tiffany."  
"Okay sir," Francine responded. "I,ll sit here by Tiffany."

Tiffany will be the one to snitch on Francine. She is a bratty girl, but she believes in the school rules. She's not a friend of Francine's.

It's now lunch time,Francine opens her lunch box with the pork sandwich inside.

"This looks delicious!" said Francine. "My mum bought it from the deli because she knows I like the sandwiches they have there."  
"What is it?" Tiffany questioned. "I'm just curious..."  
"Let me see," she responded. "My mum never tells me, she likes surprises. It taste like pork and cheese sandwich! These are my favorites, Want some?"  
"No thanks," she said, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "I'll be right back."

She went to tell on her to the Rabbi and told him that Francine brought a non-Kosher lunch to school. They went to the lunchroom to get Francine.

"Francine Frensky!" the rabbi yelled. Come with me right now!"  
"What did I do?" Francine asked worriedly. "I didn't hit anybody. Oh no, is something wrong with Mum Dad, or Catherine?"  
"I said now!" said the Rabbi, "As in right now!"

She went with him to his office. He opened the Torah and pointed to a page, shoving it into Francine's face to show the section to her.

"What's that?" she asked. "I don't know."  
"The law" the Rabbi told her. God's law, that is."  
"Did I break one of them?" she questioned, beginning to feel very nervous. "Was it a, a major one?"  
"Yes, you did," he said, taking a seat behind his desk. The brunette girl squirmed nervously i her hard plastic chair. "It's also the one of the most important school rules at ECJCS. You see, you have to keep Kosher here, because this is a Jewish school. I understand that you might not at home, but school and home have different rules sometimes. Lots of parents would be angry if we didn't have a rule that you had to keep Kosher. I,m sorry, but we're to punish you."  
"I, didn't know," she tried to explain. "Nobody ever told me-"  
"Ignorance of the law is no excuse," he sighed. "You should,ve read the rules before you came here. According to the school rules, you need to help wash dishes during lunch for a week, and I,m going to call your parents. Plus, since this is a very important rule that you broke, you need go home for the rest of the day.I,m sorry to have to do this to you. You seemed like such a great student."

Francine started crying. She she would get into trouble!

When her parents came, they told her to wait in the car with Catherine, who was home sick, while they talked to the were mad at her, even though they didn't know yet what she'd done. All they knew she broke a major rule and had to wash dishes for the only week she was there, unless she wanted to transfer to ECJCS for the rest of the year, in which case she would still have to wash dishes that week.

"Gosh, Frankie," Catherine said as she put her arm around her younger sister's shoulders and took her out to the car. "Stay out of trouble next time!"


	4. I am grounded?

Arthur and Buster Christian school week

* * *

Francine's parents eye her from outside the Rabbi's office while she and Catherine go out to the car.

"Francine, I,m so disappointed in you for fighting with people like this!, her mum explained, "You know better!"  
"Mum, i wasn't in a fight!" she responded, clearly irked. "It was because of the dietary law violation, that's all!"  
"Either way, you're grounded a week."

Francine is mad at her mom for not believing her, and for grounding her. She was already being punished at school- wasn't that enough?

* * *

It's the next day, this time with Arthur and Buster at the Catholic school, which is called which is called Cedar Grove Catholic School.

"I heard Francine's grounded," Arthur told Buster.  
"Wonder what she did?" Buster wondered aloud. "Did she get in a fight or something?"  
"We can ask her mun," he suggested. "She could tell us."  
"Good idea Arthur," the rabbit boy told him. "We could go after school."

They will go in that classroom three more times before they return to Lakewood Elementary, their preferred school.

* * *

At ECJCS Francine is in the kitchen, being handed a dirty plate and shown by a kind lunch lady how to work the sink. She has yellow rubber gloves, a hairnet,and an old t-shirt on to do the dishes.

"But Rabbi, I thought was just for a day," Francine began, "not all week!"  
"All week long," he sighed, "I told you that as the rule. "It's not my fault you didn't listen to me when i told you that. Don't worry, they,ll help you. It happens to most visiting students. Usually another student will tell them to throw away non-Kosher food, and i can overlook it and only punish for a day. Since you were reported to me, and you ate the entire sandwich, it's for a week."  
"Why it is not Kosher?" she asked, scrubbing a plate with a blue sponge. "I,m just curious, since it's the rule."  
"God said so," he told her. "I showed you the passage in the Torah."  
"Well, why's it is the rule here, I meant." she clarified. Francine put the clean plate on the conveyor belt, leading it to the station where the lunch ladies dried them off and put them in new stacks.  
"That's less of 'God said so' and more of 'the angry tiger mums said so' in that case," he responded. "Either way, that's the rule, and you need follow it."  
"Fine," she sighed, beginning to wash a fork.

* * *

"I think he went too far," Francine complained. "It's not fair!"  
"Francine, he's in charge not you," her mum told her as she came in with a grocery bag. "It's the rule. I think the punishment is fair."  
"I think he should be sued for violating child labor laws," she grumbled.  
"Now that's going too far, her mum said, placing a box of Saltine crackers in the cabinet. "Tell you what, I'll go to ECJCS right after and ask him if he can make your punishment only three days, since you didn't know and think it's unfair. He's understanding and I'm sure he'd agree."  
"Okay Mum, thanks!"


	5. Stop doing that

Arthur and Buster Christian school week

* * *

Francine and her mum got to the school near sunset Tuesday. Francine climbed out of the backseat of the car and slammed the door behind her. They entered the school cautiously and went to the Rabbi's office. Francine's mother knocked on the door firmly, foot tapping and arms crossed. Francine just hid behind her and tried to pull a loose thread off navy blue-colored shorts she had changed into.

"Who is it?" he called behind the door.  
"It's Lavern Frensky," she told him. Francine's mother? We met yesterday?  
"Please, come in!" he explained, opening the door as he spoke. "Oh, hello Francine."  
"Why, thank you," Francine's mum said.

They went in the office and sat down and began talking about Francine's punishment.

"How may how help you two?" he asked. "Lost schoolwork or lunchbox? Students bullying? Any problems?"  
"We think that Francine's punishment is too harsh," she responded. "She didn't know! Besides, she doesn't in the rule anyways."  
"Rules are rules," he sighed. "I just can't stop punishing her!"  
"Just take a day off of it," Francine cut in. "I want time here to enjoy the school! And if i knew it was a rule i wouldn't have brought pork in my lunch. I,m sorry."  
"I,m glad your sorry, Francine, but you should've known the rules," he explained. "I think since your're such a good student, we'll only do the dishes tomorrow and the rest the time you can enjoy your recess. How does that sound?"  
"Great!" Francine's mum explained with a smile. "Frankie, that's so nice of him. Thank you, Rabbi!"  
"No problem," he said. Have a good evening."

* * *

The next day on the bus to CGCS, Arthur and Buster are having a conversation about Francine.

"I,m glad Francine isn't in trouble," Arthur remarked.  
"You said it," Buster responded as he examined bare foot for unknown reasons. "Ew does this look normal to you?"  
"She doesn't even believe in that rule," he said. "And put your shoe back on! That's SO nasty! You'll get in trouble!"  
"Oh, fine!"


	6. The Law suit

Arthur and Buster Christian school week

* * *

At ECJCS, Francine is washing dishes for the last time during her stay. Lunch wasn't even messy on Wednesdays- regular or veggie hamburgers, plus french fries, vegetables and pink lemonade. So her job was pretty easy, and if she finished early, she could go out to recess. She scrubbed the dishes with the sponge wand.

"Ahh!" she yelped. After two days and five minutes of washing dishes, some of the hot water had splashed onto her arm and slightly burned her, and accident everybody made. They used very hot water to wash the dishes that all the bacteria. That's most the reason why wore rubber gloves- to protect her hands from hot water.  
"Francine, you okay?" one of the lunch ladies asked.  
"Oh yeah, I'm fine," she said as she continued scrubbing the dishes. There was somebody else helping her out too, so it would go faster.

As much Francine didn't want to admit it, helping wash the dishes in time for the middle schoolers' lunch was not bad. The lunch ladies played music while they worked, and sometimes they sang along. Plus, the chef would occasionally let Francine taste what she was working on. And the youngest girl, Kylie, had dropped out of high school and got a job cleaning at ECJCS, and she would always tell Francine stories about the things she did before she got expelled.

Francine finished five minutes later. She still had fifteen minutes to play outside! She'd heard stories of the legendary soccer matches they had with the fifth and sixth graders sometimes, and wanted badly to take part in one.

"Oh, look at the rain," Kylie said. "It hasn't rained in two weeks, now look at it pouring down like that!"  
"Seriously?" Francine shouted. She found it extremely unfair. "I was about to go play!"  
"Don't worry." she smiled. "The sixth graders only play soccer against the younger grades on Thursday, so your good."  
"Oh, okay!"

During inside recess at CGCS, Arthur and Buster were playing hide and seek with some other students. They were hiding behind a chair in the library and were whispering about Francine.

"I heard that Francine's going to sue ECJCS for making her ash dishes," Buster whispered.  
"That's just a rumor," Arthur responded. "I heard the same thing, and I,m pretty sure it's not true."  
"Even if it's a lie," he began, "it could still be true."  
"Then I hope Francine and her family when that case," Arthur remarked.  
"Me too," he told him. "It must be a bad school."  
"Is she's really going to sue," said Arthur, "then it would be. But we should ask her just in case. You should never believe everything you here, you know."


	7. Francine wins the case

Arthur and Buster Christian school week

* * *

The Frensky family was getting ready to eat their dinner on Thursday night when they heard a knock on the door.

"I'll get it,"Francine said. She set down the stack of plates she was setting out at the table and ran to the door.

She opened the door to find Arthur and Buster standing there.

"Hey guys," she said to them. "I can't come out to play now, I'm about to eat dinner. "But you can come in for a few minutes."  
"Okay," Buster responded as they came inside. They took off their shoes and left them by the front door. Then sat down on the couch in Francine's living room.  
"So, is it true you're suing ECJCS for making you wash dishes?"Arthur questioned.  
"No, of course not!" she laughed. "I mean, I wish I didn't get punished. But the Rabbi gave me three days instead of all week, So that's good."  
"Told you so," Arthur told Buster. He turned his attention back to Francine. "He seems bad Mr. Ratburn isn't that nice."  
"Yeah, he'd give you two weeks just for asking!" Buster laughed.

Francine's mum walked in the room.  
"Tell your friends to go home now," she ordered. We're ready for dinner."  
"Okay, Bye, guys!" Francine said as she walked her friends to the door. "See you tomorrow after school."  
"Bye," Arthur and Buster responded, closing the door behind them as they left.

* * *

"Ian't believe they thought i would sue," Francine laughed as she ate her salad. "It's too much effort. I'm not even staying there, after all. Why bother?"  
"Well..." Francine's father looked at her mum.  
"What?" she asked. "Did you sue him?"  
"No, honey, of course not," he responded. "But i was talking with your mum, and we might decide to switch you over to ECJCS permanently."

Francine stared at them. She thought they were joking. Why would she switch? She loved Lakewood! Besides, she was still thinking about switching to Christianity so she could be with Arthur when they were older.

"The school is small, and more personal," her mum explained, reaching for Francine's hand. "We just think the learning environment is much better for you. And the Rabbi is so nice! You,ve already so many friends there, and we feel better knowing you were going to a school where you learned about more than just math. If you went to ECJCS, you'd learn about your religion and God too."  
"Mum, no!" she yelled. "I wont switch over!"  
"We already bought you a uniform," her mum said. And we got your papers to give to the administration. It's official."

Francine slammed her fork down onto the table and got up. She ran to her room, crying. She loved it at Lakewood Elementary and she couldn't believe her mum would switch her over without even asking her option first!"  
"Francine!" her dad yelled as her door slammed shut. "Come talk about this with us."


End file.
